Flame controlled oil burner head



y 0, 1967 R. BUREAU 3,321,938

FLAME CONTROLLED OIL BURNER HEAD Filed Jan. 26, 1965 29 i f 27 I l I v 5 43h f lNl/[NTOR Raymond BUREAU United States Patent 3,321,938 FLAME CONTROLL D OIL BURNER HEAD Raymond Bureau, 2080 De Fondville, Quebec, Quebec, Canada Filed Jan. 26, 1965, Ser. No. 428,125 Claims. (Cl. 67-55) The instant invention generally relates to an oil burner head, that is, to a structure of the burning end of an oil burner used mostly for decorative purposes but also for religious purposes as in an artificial votive light, as opposed to a wax votive light.

Oil burner heads of this general type have the considerable disadvantage of usually giving oif a substantial amount of smoke due to imperfect combustion and, as has been noted, eventually dirtying ceilings of churches or restaurants and the like places, where they are in use for atmosphere and decorative purposes, with soot.

Adjustable wick mountings are of course known wherein the burning length of the Wick may be adjusted for proper combustion but those are not appropriate for churches nor are they convenient for restaurants and clubs because they do not lend themselves to the simplicity required for good design and also, because their control is readily accessible to the restaurant and club patrons, they are likely to often be left maladjusted whereby to promote improper combustion which would lead to the above noted sooting of ceilings.

It is therefore a main object of the invention to provide a new oil burner head having means thereon to ensure control of the flame height and efficiency of combustion automatically, in use.

Another object of the invention lies in providing a flame control burner head wherein the flame height is adjusted at the factory and cannot be tampered with by the ultimate users or patrons in the place of use.

Still another object of the invention lies in providing an oil burner head of the above type which is extremely simple in construction and consequently can be manufactured at very low cost.

Generally, the above advantages may be obtained with an oil burner head made according to the invention which comprises a wick, a terminal piece for said wick formed as a tubular member through which the wick extends to project out of one end thereof a predetermined length to act as a burning tip; the said tubular member being crimped against the wick to preserve the said predetermined length whereby flame height and efiiciency of combustion may automatically be controlled, in use.

Preferably, the above burner head also comprises an elongated body having an axial passage therethrough and formed with an enlargement at one end of the passage defining a shoulder. This body enlargement is formed for the reception of the terminal piece with the crimped portion thereof adapted to rest on the said shoulder.

The crimp at the end of the terminal piece has therefore a dual purpose: it serves to ensure a predetermined length of burning of the wick and by being crimped, the tubular member is flattened and widened so as to not only rest on the shoulder but provide, transversely thereof, canals for the return flow of excess oil through said passage.

Thus, by returning any excess oil to the oil reservoir over which the elongated body is to be mounted, no oil tends to remain in the enlargement to be heated up by the flame and eventually turned into vapours and fumes.

It is believed that a better understanding of the invention will be afforded by the various embodiments described hereinafter with reference to the appended drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a combination wick and terminal piece according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partially cross-sectioned elevation view of the complete assembly including the combination of FIG. 1 and the mounting body therefor;

FIG. 3 illustrates a combination similar to that in FIG. 2, the terminal piece and wick combination being shown in perspective While the mounting body therefor is shown in vertical cross-section;

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an oil burner head according to a third embodiment and taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 4 taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view, partially cut away to show the terminal piece, of an oil burner head of the embodiment of FIGS. 4 and 5.

As shown in FIG. 1, the oil burner head of the invention basically comprises a wick 1 of standard construction and material fitting into a terminal piece 3 formed as a tubular member and made of deformable material such as copper. This tubular member, which is preferably cylindrical, has one end crimped as at 5 to define a generally triangular flat head portion 7 while the remaining part forms a stem portion 9.

The wick extends through the passage formed by the said terminal piece 3 to project out of the head portion 7 a predetermined length that will ensure proper flame height and good efficiency of combustion. The crimp 5 is applied to preserve the said predetermined length. The said crimp being formed at the manufacture, it will be understood that proper control of the flame height and combustion is ensured in use since the said predetermined length cannot be tampered with.

Terminal piece 3, with wick 1 therein, is for mounting in an elongated body 11 having an axial bore forming a passage 13 terminating, at one end, into an enlargement 15 which in the case of the embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3 is conical. In this embodiment, the wick end structure is prevented from falling through passage 13 by having the widened head portion 7 sit on the seat formed by the conical enlargement 15. It will also be appreciated that with the head portion 7 crimped and widened as explained, a channel will be formed on each side of terminal piece 3 at right angles to the position of FIG. 2 for the return of any excess oil into the oil reservoir through passage 13. This will prevent accumulation of oil in the conical enlargement 15 and eventual evaporation thereof giving rise to the sooting problem mentioned above.

In certain cases, it may be found advantageous to ensure positive securement of the stem portion 9 in passage 13 and this may be obtained in the manner shown in FIG. 3, that is, by providing a set of threads 17 in the passage 13 and a cor-responding set of threads 19 on the stem portion 9. To allow return flow of any excess oil, one set of threads, or both, are slotted as at 21 to define the required return channel.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, enlargement 15 is cylindrical so as to define a radial shoulder 23 for the reception of the radial flange 2-5 formed at the inner end of the terminal piece 3 which, in this case, otherwise corresponds to the head portion 7 of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.

Terminal piece 3' is manufactured in a way similar to terminal piece 3 of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 in that it is made from a cylindrical tube having, at one end, a straight radial flange 25. When the other end of the tube is crimped in the manner mentioned previously, flange 2 5 takes on a curved outlook as clearly indicated in FIGS.

0 4,- 5 and 6. This will allow the creation, when flange 25 sits on shoulder 23, of channels for the return of any excess oil. In this manner also, fume or smoke from 3 heated oil will be prevented since the said oil will have returned to container 27 through passage 13.

The terminal piece receiving body 11 may be mounted over container 27 by any known means, such as welding, with passage 13 registering with a circular opening 29 through the top of container 27.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has just been described, it will be understood that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit thereof as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An oil burner head comprising:

(a) a body having an axial passage therethrough;

('b) an enlargement at the upper end of said axial passage;

(c) a wick extending through said passage and projecting out of said body at said end;

(d) a terminal holding piece for said wick formed as a tubular member through which said wick extends to project out of one end thereof a predetermined length to act as a burning tip;

(e) said holding piece crimped at one end against said wick to preserve said predetermined length;

(f) means for removably supporting said holding piece in said enlargement; whereby the said means provide an opening to allow free return flow of excess oil from the crimped end of the holding piece to the said passage.

2. An oil burner as recited in claim 1, wherein the crimped end of the holding piece is supported at the intersection of the said passage and the said enlargement, the said crimped end having a cross-section different from the cross-section of the said intersection to allow the flow of oil.

3. An oil burner as recited in claim 1, wherein the said enlargement is conical and the crimped end consists of the tubular member being taperedly flattened over the wick, the said crimped end being seated in said conical enlargement.

4. An oil burner head as recited in claim 1, wherein the enlargement defines a radial shoulder, and the removably supporting means consists of a radial flange resting in said shoulder, the said flange being curved to allow the free flow of excess oil.

5. An oil burner as recited in claim 1, wherein the holding piece threadedly engages the said passage, the said threaded engagement being transversely slotted to allow for return flow of excess oil through said passage.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 189,100 4/1877 Huntington 6753 545,313 8/1895 Robertson 67-53 X 742,175 10/1903 Etches 67-65 1,099,753 6/1914 Logan 67-55 JAMES W. WESTHAVER, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN OIL BURNER HEAD COMPRISING: (A) A BODY HAVING AN AXIAL PASSAGE THERETHROUGH; (B) AN ENLARGEMENT AT THE UPPER END OF SAID AXIAL PASSAGE; (C) A WICK EXTENDING THROUGH SAID PASSAGE AND PROJECTING OUT OF SAID BODY AT SAID END; (D) A TERMINAL HOLDING PIECE FOR SAID WICK FORMED AS A TUBULAR MEMBER THROUGH WHICH SAID WICK EXTENDS TO PROJECT OUT OF ONE END THEREOF A PREDETERMINED LENGTH TO ACT AS A BURNING TIP; (E) SAID HOLDING PIECE CRIMPED AT ONE END AGAINST SAID WICK TO PRESERVE SAID PREDETERMINED LENGTH; (F) MEANS FOR REMOVABLY SUPPORTING SAID HOLDING PIECE IN SAID ENLARGEMENT; WHEREBY THE SAID MEANS PROVIDE AN OPENING TO ALLOW FREE RETURN FLOW OF EXCESS OIL FROM THE CRIMPED END OF THE HOLDING PIECE TO THE SAID PASSAGE. 